The two of them, carrying the newspapers, decided to return and discuss things with the brigade leader. According to the seed shop owner, these seeds had not yet been fully promoted and were likely still in the experimental phase. This meant that the quantities distributed to each area were probably limited.
Moreover, most people were hesitant about switching to new seeds.
Since no one had seen how the new seeds would grow or what their yields might be, any issues could result in disaster for the entire brigade. Without personally witnessing the results, many were unwilling to take the risk of switching to new seeds.
Song Wei, with her knowledge of the future, knew that hybrid seeds were a valuable innovation. Without this foresight, she wouldn’t have dared to suggest that the brigade switch to the “Nanyou No. 2” rice variety.
Carrying their purchased goods, the two began the journey back home.
Bicycles of this era were built to last. While the road was long and muddy, the bike itself held up just fine, though it did get a bit dirty from the mud.
Once they arrived home, Lin Zhen carefully washed the bicycle and placed it under the eaves to dry.
Heidan and the two wolves weren’t home—they had probably gone off to roam again. The two wolves were growing bigger by the day, and many villagers had started to notice that something was unusual about them.
“Lin Zhen, next time we head to the steel plant, let’s find a craftsman to make two muzzles. When we take the wolves out into the village, they should wear muzzles and leashes. We can let them run free only when we’re in the mountains.”
This would help prevent any unnecessary trouble.
Lin Zhen asked, “What do these muzzles look like?”
Song Wei described the design and even drew a rough sketch on the ground with a stick. Her drawing skills, however, left much to be desired, and the result was chaotic.
Still, Lin Zhen managed to understand her explanation.
“I’ll find someone to make them next time.”
He then went to prepare dinner, cooking the pork they had brought back from the city. Today, he planned to make the braised pork Song Wei had been craving.
Song Wei wasn’t skilled at cooking, but she was great at assisting—cutting meat, kneading dough, and similar tasks were no problem for her.
The two worked seamlessly together, and dinner was ready in no time.
They made a plate of braised pork, a big pot of pork bone soup with cabbage and vermicelli, and a hearty portion that smelled divine.
“You start eating; I’ll go find Heidan.”
Song Wei didn’t touch the food. Instead, she grabbed a meat-filled flatbread and a small stool, sitting at the doorway to wait for Lin Zhen and Heidan to return.
While waiting, she noticed someone sneaking toward their house.
Narrowing her eyes, Song Wei retreated into the courtyard and quietly closed the gate. She wanted to see what this suspicious person was up to.
The man indeed approached Lin Zhen’s house, sniffing the air and cursing under his breath.
“Eating meat every other day! Even government officials don’t live this well, those sons of bitches.”
As he muttered, drool almost seemed to drip from his mouth.
Just as Song Wei was about to step out and confront him, she heard him continue, “I wonder when Lin Zhen will head out again. Those bastards Heizi and his crew won’t come themselves; they had to send me to snoop around.”
Song Wei paused. Oh? So, he had accomplices?
Were they planning to steal something?
Her eyes gleamed with mischief. Why bother guarding against thieves every day? It’d be better to set a trap and catch them all at once.
The man sniffed the delicious aroma in the air again, steeled himself, and knocked on the door.
“Lin Zhen! Lin Zhen, are you home? I need to talk to you.”
Song Wei didn’t respond immediately. After a deliberate pause, she slowly opened the door.
“Yes? Who are you?”
She looked at the man with a puzzled expression.
The man was tall but had a weaselly, shifty demeanor.
“Oh, it’s Song Zhiqing. Is Lin Zhen not home?” He craned his neck to peer inside.
“He’s not. What do you need?”
The visitor chuckled awkwardly. “My name’s Lin Dasheng. I’m technically Lin Zhen’s uncle. I just wanted to ask him for a favor. Do you know when he’ll be heading to the city again? I’d like him to help me buy something.”
Lin Dasheng.
Song Wei had heard plenty about him from Aunt Wang and the others during their gossip sessions. Even if she hadn’t met him before, she knew his name.
Lin Dasheng was a notorious layabout in the brigade.
There was a group in the brigade that liked to gamble and play cards in secret, and Lin Dasheng was one of them.
He was particularly memorable because of his unfortunate wife.
Lin Dasheng’s parents, desperate to find him a bride despite his terrible reputation, had essentially purchased his wife.
Being their only son, his parents doted on him excessively, which turned him into a troublemaker from a young age. They would even laugh and say his farts smelled sweet.
At sixteen or seventeen, Lin Dasheng had an affair with a widow from a neighboring village. He was careless and often got caught, but people turned a blind eye since it was consensual.
However, his poor reputation worsened after this incident, making it impossible for his parents to find anyone willing to marry him.
Desperate, they offered a dowry of sixty yuan—an enormous sum at the time—to anyone willing to marry him.
Eventually, a family that didn’t care about their daughter’s well-being agreed. The bride came from another brigade and essentially went from one miserable situation to another.
After marrying into the Lin family, she was worked to the bone to “earn back” the sixty yuan her in-laws spent on her. Not only did she have to care for the entire family, but she also had to work in the fields, leaving her utterly exhausted every day.
She was one of the most pitiful women in the brigade. Even after having a son, the toxic environment turned her child against her, treating her like a servant.
Recalling all this, Song Wei felt nothing but disgust for Lin Dasheng. Restraining her urge to punch him, she calmly said, “Oh, we’re heading to the city tomorrow. What do you need him to buy?”
Lin Dasheng’s eyes flickered. “Tomorrow? Well, I’ll check with my mother and see if we need anything. I’ll come back later to let Lin Zhen know.”
With that, he left.
Watching his retreating figure, Song Wei smirked coldly.
Tomorrow, huh? Time to prepare a sack in advance!
When Lin Zhen returned with Heidan, he saw Song Wei sitting boldly at the door, exuding a menacing aura.
That look on her face… it was clear she was ready to beat someone up.
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